PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has got clearance from the government to visit India this month, where he will speak to the BCCI about the revival of bilateral cricketing ties. Ashraf, who is due to visit in India in the next ten days, said he had informed the foreign office of his trip and also sought advice from the government on what could be done to revive cricket between the neighbouring countries. Zaka Ashraf is confident that the PCB will meet the security standards set by the ICC committee formed a couple of months ago.
Talking to journalists here at the National Cricket Academy, Zaka said that the ICC formulated a committee of board members to give their recommendations for the revival of the cricket in Pakistan but the final decision of the committee is yet to come and the PCB is ready to meet the standards set by the ICC to bring the international cricket back to Pakistan. “I had a detailed talk with the Indian and Bangladesh board officials during the ICC meeting in Dubai and they have invited me to have a thorough discussion on the revival of cricket in Pakistan,” he added. According to the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, Pakistan are scheduled to tour India for three Tests and five ODIs in March-April 2012, but there is uncertainty over whether that series will take place as the Indian government has not yet cleared it. “It is unfortunate that we broke our ties and I want to revive them,” he added.
Zaka said: “By the announcement of the revival efforts of the Pakistan and India series, the fans from across the border have shown great interest. All I want is the revival of the bilateral series no matter where it is played be home, neutral venue or in India. Similarly, Bangladesh official said that he want to to discuss the series with his board and then come up with the final decision,” said Zaka. “I had positive talks with Haroon Lorgat who wants good working relations with the PCB,” he maintained.
He further said that the PCB was moving towards the election process. Zaka while elaborating the security division, said that he wanted a senior police official in the division who could understand the requirements of the job and would coordinate with the ICC anti-corruption unit to keep the game clean. On the appointment of new coach, the PCB chairman clarified that there were no issues. He said: “We won’t to have the best available options in all the three departments of the game and local coaches will be attached with them so that we would have our own trained manpower who could be used in the academy,” said he.
